modao_zushifandomcom-20200223-history
Tortoise of Slaughter
The Tortoise of Slaughter (屠殺玄武, Túshā Xuánwǔ) was a giant creature that lived in a cave in Qishan's Dusk Creek Mountain. It resembled the Divine Beast Xuanwu from Chinese mythology. Description The beast's coal-black head resembled both a snake and a tortoise. Its eyes were golden, with slit pupils and relatively poor eyesight. Steam shot from its nostrils, and its shell was large enough to be mistaken for an islet in a pool within the cave. Novel, Chapter 53 History Lan Wangji recalls reading about a demi-Xuanwu in history annals. The creature appeared over four hundred years ago, consuming countless humans. A group of cultivators once banded together to kill the Tortoise of Slaughter, but failed to find it because it had gone into hibernation. Novel, Chapter 54 Death In the lead-up to the Sunshot Campaign, the Qishan Wen Sect commanded all sects to send their youths to be trained by the youngest son of Wen Ruohan, Wen Chao. Novel, Chapter 51 Wen Chao then forced all the guest cultivators to search Dusk Creek Mountain for the cave of a mysterious creature. Once they entered the cave and waited by an underground pool, they failed to encounter the still-unknown creature. Wen Chao grew impatient and suggested stringing someone up and bleeding them as bait. Novel, Chapter 52 Jealous of Mianmian beauty, Wen Chao's mistress Wang Lingjiao suggested using her. When Lan Wangji and Jin Zixuan defended Mianmian, Su She attempted to intervene by handing her over, but was quickly slapped away by Lan Wangji. Novel, Chapter 52 From there, a fight broke out, during which Wei Wuxian took Wen Chao hostage on an islet in the center of the pool. However, the islet began to move, unveiling itself as the shell of the Tortoise of Slaughter. Novel, Chapter 52 The Wens fled, but not before Wei Wuxian stopped Wang Lingjiao from branding Mianmian's face in revenge. He took the brand on his chest and wore it for the rest of his life in his original body; in gratitude, Mianmian gave him a pouch of herbs she had prepared. The Wens subsequently fled and trapped the rest of the cultivators in the cave with the Tortoise of Slaughter. Novel, Chapter 53 Lan Wangji pointed out that the prescreens of maple leaves implied a second passage out of the cave, as there were no maple trees by their original entrance. While Wei Wuxian distracted the Tortoise of Slaughter, Jiang Cheng dove into the pool to find the entrance. When everyone except Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian was out, Wei Wuxian was struck in the arm by an arrow. Su She had intended to make up for his earlier error with Mianmian by saving Wei Wuxian, but had misfired and injured him instead. Novel, Chapter 53 Enticed by the scent of blood, the Tortoise of Slaughter then attacked Wei Wuxian. Lan Wangji pushed him aside, but was bitten on his leg in the process. Ultimately, Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji were trapped in the cave, as the tortoise's body blocked the underwater passage. Novel, Chapter 53 After three days of waiting for rescue, Lan Wangji's injuries healed due to Mianmian's gift of herbs. He and Wei Wuxian decided to kill the Tortoise of Slaughter to escape. As its shell was impenetrable, Wei Wuxian suggested attacking it from the inside while Lan Wangji used Chord Assassination to kill the creature once it was lured out of its shell. Novel, Chapter 55 Inside the Tortoise of Slaughter‘s shell, Wei Wuxian found the decomposing corpses of the humans it had consumed. He also found a strange sword with strong resentful energy that he later forged into the Stygian Tiger Seal. Novel, Chapter 55 Unfortunately, after killing the Tortoise of Slaughter, Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji were still trapped in the cave. In its death throes, the Tortoise of Slaughter had destroyed the underwater passage that would allow them to escape. Injured and feverish, Wei Wuxian requested Lan Wangji sing to him, which is how he learned the melody to Wangxian. Novel, Chapter 55 Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji were eventually rescued from the cave seven days later by Jiang Cheng and other cultivators from the Yunmeng Jiang Sect. When Jiang Fengmian inquired about who killed the Tortoise of Slaughter, Wei Wuxian claimed it had mostly been Lan Wangji, and Lan Wangji in turn claimed it had mostly been Wei Wuxian. Wen Chao, however, later took credit for killing the creature. Novel, Chapter 56 Consequences Wei Wuxian's actions in the cave prompted Wang Lingjiao to target Lotus Pier and demand his punishment. Her insistence that his hand be removed led to the massacre of Lotus Pier that started the Sunshot Campaign. Novel, Chapter 57 After his resurrection and marriage to Lan Wangji, Wei Wuxian discovered that the money pouch Lan Wangji kept is Mianmian's herb pouch. Lan Wangji had stolen it out of jealousy, and then kept it to remember Wei Wuxian. Novel, Chapter 112 Sometime after their marriage, Wei Wuxian won an ugly porcelain tortoise in a ring toss game. He suggested to Lan Wangji to put it in the Orchid Room (the classroom) to commemorate the latter‘s killing of the Tortoise of Slaughter and to encourage the disciples to outshine the achievements of their seniors. However, no one dared to ask why the porcelain tortoise was sitting on Lan Wangji’s desk. Novel, Chapter 126 References Category:Creatures Category:Events Category:Animals Category:Characters